Swinging gate



(No Model.)

2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

AmfLYoAN.; SWINGI-NG GATE.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' A.B.LYGAN.

SWINGING GATE.

No. 559,141. PatentedApr. 28, 1896.

d? @CNEL yea/14" ANDREW BLRAHAM. FHOTO'LITHQWASHN GTONJI'C i VUNITEDSTATES ATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT LYoAN,. or EUREKA, ILLINoIsj SWIN'GING GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,141, dated April28, 1896.

Application filed J une 26 1 8 9 5 To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. LYcAN, a

Vcitizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, in the countyofl/Vood'ford and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulSwinging Gate, of which ther VJfollowing is a speciiication. f

This invention relates to gravity-closing gates which are adapted to beopened and closed from either approach and which are held in either anopen or a closed position by positive means or catches, the latter beingreleased by the same means employed for opening and closing the gate.

The objects in view 'are to provide a gate which can be easily openedagainst the strongest wind, to obviate the use of a great number ofoastin gs, which are easily broken in cold weather, to simplify theconstruction and reduce the operating parts to a minimum number, and toprovide a gate which will be durable and capable of withstanding therough usage to which devices of this character are subjected. v

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the nature andconstruction of the invention are understood from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a gate embodying the. invention, showing it open.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate, showing it closed. Fig. 3 is adetail view of the main catch.

The gate comprises a series of longitudinal bars 1, front and rearbattens 2 and 3, a diagonal brace 4L, a vertical stay 5, andlongitudinal barb wires G, which are rmly attached at their ends to thebattens and intermediate of their ends to the brace 4 and stay 5 at thepoints of crossing. A post 7 is placed at one side of the roadway, andthe gate is hinged thereto in such a manner that its outer end will risewhen opening, thereby throwing the weight to one side of a line passingvertically through either the upper or the lower hinge, so that when thegate is released after being opened it will close automatically by theforce of gravity, as will be readily appreciated. The knuckle of theupper hinge 8 is at a greater distance from the inner face of the post 7than the knuckle of Jthe lower hinge Serial No. 554,107. (No model.)

; 9, therebythrowingthe axial line of rotation of the gate out of aperpendicular line, which iresults in the automatic closing of the gate`in the manner aforesaid. A latch-post 10 `occurs at the opposite side`of the roadway and is supplied on its inner side with a double catch 11and with a double inclined latchraiser 12. The gate when closed extendsbetween the posts 7 and 10 and is held fast by the engagement of itslatch-bar 13 with the catch 11, the latter having a recess in its bottomedge to engage with the active or projecting end of the latch.

The latch-bar 13 ispivoted about midway of its ends upon a bolt or pivot14, passing transversely through thediagonal brace 4, and is limited inits movements by blocks 15, secured to the rear batten 3, between whichthe rear end of the said latch-bar13 operates. A coil-spring 16 issecured at one end to the latch-bar and at its opposite end to thebatten 3 and exerts a downward pull upon the rear end of the latch-bar13 and holds it in engagement with the lower stop 15, and this spring islocated between the parallel bars comprising the batten 3 and isprotected thereby and hidden from view.

A roller 17 is secured upon the front side of the batten 2 a shortdistance above the front end of the latch-bar 13 and is designed totravel upon the top side of the double catch 11, so as to steady andprevent sagging of the outer end of the gate when closed. The upper sideof the double catch 11 is slightly inclined in opposite directions froma middle point, sogas to receive the roller 17 and 4give a properposition to the gate when the latter is closed. Thus should the gate sagappreciably at its free end, it will be elevated by the rollers engagingthe outer lower end of the catch 11 and riding upon the upper inclinedside, as will be readily understood.

The double inclined latch-raiser 12 is intended to cause positiveengagement of the latch-bar with the catch 11 should the spring4 16through any cause fail to operate.

Posts 18 are set on the same side of the roadway with the post 7 and onopposite sides of the latter and at nearly equal distances therefrom,and incline slightly from the perpendicular toward the roadway, andthese posts have catches 19 and latch-raisers 2O to cop- TOO crate withthe catches 19 in a similar manner to the latch-raiser 12. Arms 21 aresecured at their inner ends to the posts 18 and incline upwardly andforwardly, so as to overhang the roadway, and are provided at theirupper ends with pulleys 22, over which pass operating cords or ropes 23,by means of which the latch-bar is released and the gate opened andclosed. A bar 24 inclines to the gate and eX- tends in the rear thereofand is iirml y attached at its lower end to the diagonal brace 4 andbetween its ends to the upper corner of the rear batten 3, and, ifdesired, to the longitudinal bars 1 at the points of crossing therewith.A pulley 25 is located at the upper end of the bar 24, and the operatingcords or ropes 23 pass tliereover'and are connected at their lower endsto the inner portion of the latchbar 13, so that by pulling upon eithercord or rope 23 the latch-bar will be disengaged from the catch withwhich it is engaged, and a continued pull upon the said rope or cordwill result in an opening or closing of the gate, according to theposition which the latter may occupy when the cord or rope is pulledupon. To facilitate the grasping of the ropes or cords 23, they aresupplied at their pendent ends with handles 26 of any desired pattern.

From what has been said it will be seen that the gate is substantiallybraced and oomprises a minimum number of parts consistent i withstrength and durability, and that the single oblique bar 24 providesample leverage for the successful manipulation of the gate 1 when it isrequired to open and'close the same, z and the overhanging arms 21 admitof the handles 26 extending within convenient reach from the principleor sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I`is claimed as new is Incombination, a gravity-closing gate, a longitudinally-disposedlatch-bar, stops disposed to limit the movements of the latchbar, ahoused spring for holding the latchrbar in operative relation, a rollerlocated 'above the operating end of the latch-bar, a double catch havingits top side oppositelyinclined, a latch-raiser beneath the said catch,posts 18 arranged on the same side of the roadway with the post to whichthe gate is hinged, Aand having catches and latch-raisers, arms ysecured to the posts 18, an obliquely-disposed .bar bracingly attachedto the gate and exitending in the rear thereof, and operating cords orropes passing over pulleys at the ends of the oblique bar and arms, andhaving connection with the said latch-bar, substantially as set forthfor the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixedmy signature in ithe presence of two witnesses.

l ALBERT E. LYCAN.

Witnesses:

G. W. Hoort/IAN,

JOHN H. SWIFT.

